town in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in Quinn, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 47% of sites in South Dakota. Against other South Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (92nd percentile) and lowest in summer (43rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.2 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 0.9 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Quinn?
- First forage: Mar 16 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Quinn, from what grows within flight range (about 3.7 miles) and when it blooms here. Dates are the model's estimate for a typical year; the spring index for this spot falls on May 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), alfalfa, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Alfalfa: about 166 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NE, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 23 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.9 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
From USDA's crop maps for 2021–2025; fields rotate, so a crop counts by how often it was grown. Listing a field says nothing about its owner.
The land and water around Quinn
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northern & Central Plains Ruderal & Planted Grassland; Northwestern Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.11 mi S.
How Quinn ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 61st | 51st | 74th | 84th |
| South Dakota | 47th | 92nd | 43rd | 48th |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 83rd | 98th | 77th | 31st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 60% of the land here is scored with national averages for its vegetation type rather than measured plant cover, so the wild-plant part of this estimate is rougher than the crop part.
The national forage map around Quinn: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Wall 6 mi · Cottonwood 11 mi · Wasta 17 mi · Interior 19 mi · Philip 23 mi · Kadoka 33 mi
All towns in South Dakota · National map · How the scoring works
An estimate from public maps (USDA crop maps 2021–2025 averaged, LANDFIRE vegetation), not a survey of the ground. Maps can't see garden plantings, understory density, other beekeepers' hives, or this year's weather. The point is the Census Bureau's published center of Quinn (43.9866, -102.1263); a yard a mile or two away can differ, so check your own spot. The FEMA flood map was not checked for this page. Benchmark 2026.5, built 2026-10-19. How this works · All sources.